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November 02, 2010

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The trophy prize – President Barack Obama’s seat – appears to be within the GOP’s grasp.

With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Republican Mark Kirk appears to have taken the lead in the Senate race with 48 percent of the vote. Democrat Alexi Giannoulias had 46.4 percent of the vote, with many precincts yet to report.

When asked about the state of the count, a Giannoulias aide told POLITICO that it was “tight.” Meanwhile, a Kirk aide said the campaign was “cautiously” optimistic.

This race has been one of the most watched and competitive of the cycle. Polls have showing the candidates trading leads for months, but the most recent surveys had Kirk ahead by a couple points – but still well within the margin of error.